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University News

Category: Alumni

Graduate in cap and gown cheering as red and white confetti fills the air during Montclair State University’s 2026 Spring Commencement at Prudential Center.

Montclair State University Honors Graduates at 2026 Spring Commencement

From first‑generation scholars to global changemakers, the Class of 2026 cross Prudential Center stage

Tia Atieh stands, arms crossed, outside University Hall.

A Life Rebuilt: How a Tragedy Led One Student to Her True Calling

After surviving a national tragedy in Lebanon, graduating senior Tia Atieh finds her purpose and a ‘second home’ at Montclair State University

Jason Cameron runs through choreography in Montclair State University’s dance studio .

MFA Grad Choreographs a Future in Dance Education

Jason Cameron takes center stage as Montclair State University Graduate School speaker

Isaac Afriyie-Addo onstage with a computer.

The First Graduate of the Cali Pathways Project Plays Into the Similarities of Music and Business

For graduate Isaac Afriyie-Addo, it’s about balancing passions — classical and jazz piano, composition and business and information systems

SGA President Leila Jones, stands in foreground, with executive board members, from left, Carmela Beitler, Edlyn Eugene and Danny Gonzalez. Edlyn and Danny are leaning against a tree.

The Students Representing the Class of 2026 on Commencement Stage

From scholarships to food‑insecurity efforts, Montclair State University’s SGA team heads into the graduation spotlight after reshaping support for students across campus

Jacob Roby sits in a classroom full of red chairs.

From an ‘American Dream School’ Education at Montclair to a Future in Policy and Global Studies

National security research, D.C. experience and a highly competitive U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship put this Montclair State University graduate on a path to public service

Melvin Rodriguez, wearing a white lab coat with a Montclair State University patch and blue gloves, sits at a fluorescent microscope in a dim lab. He looks intently through the eyepiece while holding a petri dish glowing bright green under the microscope lens, surrounded by scientific equipment and incubators in the background.

A Promise to His Grandmother Will Carry Him to a Career in Medicine

For Molecular Biology major Melvin Rodriguez, studying melanoma in zebrafish is more than academic – it’s a promise kept and a path toward healing

Ana Barahona stands at the front of a Montclair classroom as an assistant, looking at a whiteboard while teaching the class.

Finding Her Voice at Montclair, Speaking Up on Climate at the United Nations

Political Science major Ana Barahona turned faculty mentorship, research and early‑morning commutes into a UN climate role and a future in law and leadership

Leilani Ford, in a butterfly costume, flies above fellow cast members onstage.

Montclair Musical Theatre Students Make Debut at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Theater programs at Montclair State University offer students stage opportunities from community theater performances to the bright lights of New York City

Casey Coleman walks along a campus pathway, holding a travel coffee mug, with long rows of empty folding tables on one side.

The Brains Behind World’s Fair Day at Montclair State University

Associate Director of Campus Activities Casey Coleman is helping to bring more than 250 events to life at Montclair in honor of the U.S. Semiquincentennial, including a trifecta of celebrations to end the spring semester

Trailblazer Award honorees Tommy Foster and Professor Leslie Wilson stand with Montclair leaders during the MEGA Symposium, talking in front of a Montclair State University backdrop.

Montclair History Professor and ‘Good Morning America’ Producer Honored with Trailblazer Awards

Montclair State University’s Leslie Wilson and alumnus Tommy Foster recognized at the statewide Male Enrollment and Graduation Alliance Symposium

Sheridan Wheeler takes the temperature of salad bar tomatoes.

From Study Hall to Dining Hall: One Graduate’s Journey to a Career in Food and Nutrition

Meet Sheridan Van Biert, whose full-circle homecoming took her from Nutrition and Food Science studies at Montclair State University to a registered dietitian nourishing her alma mater’s community